Against the Sun
by e v i l - m u f f i n - 8
Summary: "If the distance is too much... if this isn't the life you want... it's your decision to make." Sakura closed her eyes briefly. He was giving her an out; giving her an opportunity to relieve herself of the strain his absence left on her. "What if..." she swallowed the lump in her throat, "what if I don't choose a life with you?" Sequel to My Darkness.
1. The Weight of Silence

_**Hello readers! I am back with the sequel that was in such high demand! Of course, how could I really leave My Darkness like that; it would be so cruel. I'm sorry it took such a long time to get it on here, but I just really wanted to make sure things were poifect. **_

_**ATTENTION: TO THOSE READERS WHO ARE JUST JOINING US NOW - THIS IS A SEQUEL TO MY DARKNESS. PLEASE READ THAT FIRST. PLEASE. AND WHILE YOU'RE THERE YOU MIGHT AS WELL REVIEW! :)**_

**_-EM_**

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_"Contrary to what the cynics say distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold._  
_It's for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love._  
_It's for those knowing love when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough."_

_-Anonymous_

**Against the Sun: Chapter I**_  
_

**The Weight of Silence  
**

**xx**

Time is constant. It never changes. There will always be sixty seconds in a minute. There will always be sixty minutes in an hour. And there will always be twenty-four hours in a day. Time was not fluctuating. It moved at the same, constant pace at every moment in life.

That was the biggest load of crap that Sakura had ever heard.

Time without Sasuke was agonizing, that was when she resented the idea that it was constant. Her days seemed longer, time went slower just to spite her, and she spent every long minute thinking about him.

It had been almost two months since Madara first attacked. Two months since Orochimaru was killed and two months since Sasuke left to chase after the only other living Uchiha and to Sakura it felt like a lifetime.

How often since then had she wondered what might have happened if she'd tried to remain with him? If she hadn't let him go without a fight. If they'd been able to kill Madara. If she had done so many things that hadn't happened. She wanted to know what life would be like with Sasuke in Konoha. With Sasuke with _her_ in Konoha. It was impossible not to imagine that other future, that rejected future.

But, her life was finally beginning to make sense again, although she couldn't say she was enjoying it. Her mind was clear, and her heart was not constantly as heavy. It only hurt when she thought about him and she knew that in time, she'd survive it. She had done it before and would again. Eventually the heart repairs... it was the waiting for that to happen that was the hardest.

It had become a habit for her not to close her window at night. She was waiting for him to keep his promise, waiting for him to come back to her and slip through the window like he always did.

He was the one that left her behind, claiming that he was doing it to protect her. But she wouldn't let him go and she still so badly wanted to chase after him, her own promise aside. Eventually, after the first sting of him leaving again had faded, she'd made peace with the fact that she couldn't follow him.. That it was some stupid, prideful thing that he had to do on his own and she needed to understand that. Or try to.

The only remaining thing that was bothering her was knowing the good thing Sasuke had done and not being able to tell anyone. Yeah, Naruto and Sai knew, but what was she going to say to them? Sasuke had asked them to keep it secret, and so far no one had slipped up... until Sakura couldn't bear it any longer.

The knowledge that Sasuke was a hero to her, but a monster to everyone else in the world was killing her.

Tsunade hadn't sent anyone out to find him yet, and for that she was grateful. But it wasn't because she knew what Sasuke had done. It was because she was still trying to rebuild the destruction that had been inflicted on Konoha. It was a long and tedious job, but slowly, it was being restored. She sent a few shinobi to help aid Kirigakure and Kumogakure with rebuilding their smaller villages, but those were the only people that had been given a mission outside of Konoha since the battle.

She was bracing herself for another attack, Sakura assumed.

She was still having trouble trying to wrap her head around why Sasuke didn't want the Hokage to know. The Hokage of all people. She could help him, make sure that he had the resources he needed. But Sasuke was too stubborn to accept help; he had to do everything on his own.

Almost two weeks after Sasuke had left, Naruto told her about Itachi. About his sacrifices for peace. Not that he wanted to, but Sakura had heard Madara and Orochimaru taunting him about Itachi during their battle, and she'd been confused. She didn't understand why they were saying that Konoha had destroyed Sasuke's family, and so she made him fess up.

She'd cried, surprisingly. As someone who hated crying, she cried when she heard about what Itachi had done. But, it made her understand Sasuke a little bit better. She knew why he'd wanted to destroy Konoha, not that she was condoning his actions, but she understood them.

That's all she could really do.

She didn't want Sasuke to live out the same life as Itachi, though. She didn't want him to be a criminal, not when it could be helped. Even if he didn't want the help, Sakura knew he needed it.

So she told the Hokage everything.

She told her about his first intentions when returning to the village. She told her about the battles with Orochimaru and Madara, she told her that without Sasuke's help, she would be dead. Sasuke had protected her so many times and she knew that without him on their side, the outcome would have been very different.

When everything was out on the table, Sakura felt a wave of relief. The weight of the silence had been too much to carry any longer. It had been eating away at her, bubbling inside until it felt like she was about to spill it all to some stranger.

But she'd told the Hokage, and now her mentor was just staring at her with sad eyes.

Sad eyes, which really surprised her, considering she hadn't mentioned anything about her personal relationship with Sasuke.

"What Sasuke discovered about his brother had broken him, everything he based his life on was false, a lie. He was lost in darkness, he felt as if he had no purpose, and he didn't know what or who to believe and so followed the first man that got to him." Tsunade let a soft smile grace her features as she looked at her apprentice. "You allowed Sasuke to see the light, Sakura. You saved him."

Sakura chewed on her lip, feeling tears sting her nose. She may have saved him, but now he was gone. Chasing after the most powerful man alive today. He was risking his life, and he'd made her promise that she wouldn't follow after him.

Because she would have.

She knew with the entirety of her heart that she would have followed after him, just to know that he was safe. Just to know that if he got hurt she could heal him, save him.

Tsunade had moved around the desk and wrapped her arms around Sakura's form. She couldn't help but think that there were some truth to the rumors going around the village. That there had been something between Sasuke and Sakura. It would make sense that Sakura had saved him that way. That she had shown him love and made him realize that the power of hatred and revenge could be overcome. It's what she was expecting, after all. It was the very reason that she had put Sakura through so much of Sasuke in the beginning, even when she couldn't stand him. Things had turned around, and she was grateful that Konoha didn't have Sasuke as an enemy.

"You made the right choice in telling me, Sakura." Tsunade whispered, smoothing down Sakura's hair and smiling.

Sakura merely nodded, feeling the rush of pain all over again after just recounting everything that had happened. Even if Tsunade didn't know the details, Sakura was recalling them in her mind as she told the story.

Another week passed by, and Tsunade was out of the village meeting the other Kages and discussing things Sakura could only assume were related to defending their villages against Madara.

When Tsunade returned, she explained the result. They wanted to amass their armies together and face Madara. The attack on Konoha; the attack on all of the villages had been seen as an act of war, and something needed to be done. Apparently, while the focus had been on Madara, Sasuke's name had been brought to the table numerous times as an ally of Madara's. Someone they would need to dispose of.

Tsunade said that while she tried to deflect the blame mostly to the elder Uchiha, there was nothing she could do to show that Sasuke was completely innocent. There was no evidence other than Sakura's word, which wasn't much to the Kages. And, unless Sasuke was ready for everyone to know of his heroics, there wasn't anything else Tsunade could do.

But when she realized that they were going to be leaving the village, she started to feel panicked. How was Sasuke supposed to find her? She wouldn't be in her home, she would be out traveling with the army. Even if they set up a camp, how was Sasuke supposed to know that they left?

What if he returned only to find her home empty? What if he thought she'd given up waiting for him?

She would never stop waiting for him, but she wasn't sure if he knew that.

So the idea of going along with the army scared her at first. It wasn't because they were going to be in a war, it wasn't even because she could die out there, it was because Sasuke would have no idea where the hell she was.

She really had no choice in the matter. She was an esteemed medic in Konoha, and Tsunade was bringing along some new healers that would need to be trained. Since Tsunade would be busy with meetings and politics and, well, the giant war that was just starting to brew, she left the job to Sakura and Shizune.

But, on top of that, Sakura was assigned on a team with Naruto to scout on occasion, just to make sure that they weren't walking into a trap or sitting in a position to be ambushed. She really didn't mind, some adrenaline would be good for her.

And being around Naruto was always healthy as well. He understood what she was going through when no one else possibly could. Even though Sai was there, he didn't really have a hold on people's emotions yet despite his attempts to make her feel better. He even painted her a picture filled with bright, cheerful colors to try and make her smile.

She did smile, but it wasn't long until she remembered why Sai had needed to paint the picture in the first place.

Because her heart was still missing him, would probably never stop missing him until he was safe and alive in front of her.

"Is this right?"

Sakura blinked, leaving her thoughts and returning to reality. She ran her hand over the patient's chest and nodded. "That's perfect."

The medic in training grinned and stood triumphantly in front of the practice dummy.

Sakura remembered how proud she'd felt when Tsunade was training her and she actually did something right. They needed praise when they did things right, and a little scolding when they didn't. A balance.

"We'll try mending an artery tomorrow."

She didn't really think about what she was healing when she was doing it. At least she didn't when someone she loved was in danger. When she was healing Sasuke she was just trying to stop the bleeding and make sure that everything was functional. It was an instinct to just.. know which ones were the most important. It was odd trying to focus the importance and convey it to the healers she was teaching.

Naruto was waiting in her tent when she returned, sprawled on the chair in front of her 'desk'. A rickety table loaded with papers. It wasn't ideal, but she would take what she could get.

"Any news?" She asked, taking off her gloves and flopping down on her bed.

He shook his head. "Nothing since the lead near Iwa."

She sighed and ran a hand over her face. Naruto wasn't so much against Sasuke going after Madara as he was that he decided to do it alone. He wanted to be there to help; to make sure that the job got done. He'd spent the entire week begging Tsunade to spare a few trackers and help him hunt the guy down.

But if Sasuke didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be.

Sakura had promised not to follow him or track him down, but Naruto had made no such deals. He was her best friend, and he was doing the best he could to find him for her. It was just taking longer than either of them had hoped.

All she wanted to know was if he was safe or not. She wanted to know that he hadn't found Madara already, that there was no chance of injury, that he was still alive.

"Sasuke's too stubborn to die, Sakura, you know that." Naruto said, trying to comfort her. She didn't like to show that she was upset, but he didn't need visual confirmation to know how she was feeling. He wanted Sasuke to be okay as well, but there was nothing more they could do. The brief tracking missions were all they could dole out at that time, and they were going to have to make do. Maybe if they were lucky, Sasuke would find them.

"I hope you're right." She whispered, not wanting to imagine a life without him. Not after everything that'd happened. Not after everything they'd been through... everything that she'd been through. She just wanted something to go right in her life. She wanted to be happy. She deserved that, didn't she?

Life in camp was busy when she was not sleeping, which helped in distracting her.

When she wasn't in the medical tent training people, she was running around the perimeter with Naruto. When she wasn't scouting, she was with Tsunade, Shikaku and Shikamaru, standing in for Shizune as Tsunade's assistant and watching as they surveyed the maps, trying to find a pattern. There was little to no down time and she wasn't getting the sleep she needed to be.

But the moments right before she was able to fall asleep, when her mind should have been going over everything that happened that day, all she could think about was Sasuke.

All she could think about were the things she didn't know about him; all the things she never had time to learn. She didn't know if his feet were ticklish or if he had any birthmarks. She didn't know what nightmares he had as a child. She didn't know what stars were his favorites, or what shapes he saw in the clouds. She didn't know what he was truly afraid of or what memories he held the closest. And there was no time anymore... there would never be enough time for them. She felt like she wasted him while he was with her. Didn't ask enough questions. Didn't think it would matter.

And now her mind was exploding with regret for all she'd missed.

Every morning, fresh off of dreaming of him and not wanting to wake up, Sakura found herself getting ready in an almost dream-like state. She felt sluggish, she felt useless, and she wanted to crawl back into bed and finish off her dream. She would feel this way until she started to teach the medics. Then, and only then would she snap out of it and realize that she had something better to do than sulk around.

"Sakura!" She turned, and there was Ino, standing outside of the medical tent, Shikamaru right beside her. Sakura hadn't even realized she had been passing by the tent instead of going in it. How distracted had she been lately?

She raised a hand in greeting, lips curving into a half-hearted smile. Ino called her over, so she changed course and headed over there.

Upon seeing her friend's tired face, Ino furrowed her brows in concern. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sakura said automatically. So many people had been asking her that lately it just became her automated response. "Things have been so busy around here I feel like I haven't seen you. How are you?"

Ino narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Shikamaru, I'll meet you in there." He shrugged, muttered something Sakura couldn't hear and disappeared into the tent. "Don't even try that on me," she snapped. "You think I can't tell when something's wrong?" Then her gaze softened. "Talk to me, Sakura. I'm worried about you."

Sakura pressed her lips together, trying not to let the weight of the last few weeks crush her. But then she looked up and Saw Ino watching her, all concern and absolute faith and she felt herself crumble.

"No," she said, voice breaking. "No, I'm not okay."

But she couldn't tell Ino why. She trusted Ino with her life, but she wasn't sure if she could trust her with the secret Sasuke wanted her to keep. She had a very big mouth, and Sakura just wasn't positive that she wouldn't tell someone else.

Ino didn't ask why, though. She just took Sakura into her arms and patted her back and stroked her hair, trying to calm her down.

After a while, Sakura was able to breathe again. All she told Ino was that there was someone she loved, and that someone was away; could be away for a while. Ino had always given her the best advice, and that time was no different. She told her that the distance would make her love this person more and that when this person returned, everything would be worth it.

Sakura was actually able to smile that day. Ino took a huge weight off of her shoulders and she didn't even know it.

But it didn't help in the long run, not really. She found herself putting on the fake smile to her friends, like she should have been doing in the first place instead of pouting around, but once she was alone and in solitude, she would sink right back into that hole that Sasuke left.

All she needed was some kind of reassurance. She needed to know that he was still alive... that all of this waiting for him wasn't for nothing... that he was able to come back to her.

She needed to know.

She needed him.

* * *

**AH VOILA!  
****I do apologize for the wait for this chapter, and then for the chapter's shortness, but there will be more to come. Soon, I hope, though I'm not making any promises!**

**I won't post a ready-to-go review for you guys, because I hope by now you realize HOW MUCH I LOVE REVIEWS AND HOW MUCH I WANT TO KNOW YOUR OPINIONS.**

**:D**

**And if that wasn't clear then I don't know what else to say :)**

**Thanks to all of you who stuck through My Darkness and are now getting ready for the adventure that Against the Sun is sure to bring.**

**LOVE YOU ALL.**

**-EM**


	2. Out There Somewhere

_** And we're on to Chapter 2! I'm glad to see you're all excited for this sequel - I AM TOO. I'm glad to be back and writing for you guys :) Makes me happy!**_

_**Thanks to: princezsupastar, Life'sNotPerfect, Cherryblossomlovesyuh (whose name I could not put in properly for some reason... every time I saved it would disappear - sowwy :3), angrypixels, SorrowoftheHeart, aznkiwi14, MoonLight.217, hirokiri9, RunNRide25, andy-chan24, alwaysNaruHina, kuromimi, KNUXOUGE74, anya2011, blackmoon9793, LoveTheCrazy, Srylanna, and a few Guests that reviewed!**_

_**YAY REVIEWS!**_

_**And, I don't even want to talk about the fact that it has taken me over two months to put finish this and post it. Don't hate me :(**_

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_"I think we dream so we don't have to be apart for so long. _

_If we're in each other's dreams, we can be together all the time." _

_― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh_

**Against the Sun: Chapter II**

**Out There Somewhere**

**xx**

Waiting.

Watching.

Silence.

That had been his life for a while now. No contact with anyone. Madara would be secluded now; if he had an army left he wouldn't be directly communicating with it. There would be one person doing the go-between. One person that Sasuke needed to find to get to Madara.

But Madara was exceptionally good at covering his tracks.

Sasuke stomped out the fire he'd made, kicking dirt over it and smothering any leftover smoke so it wasn't an obvious campsite, and started to move again. That was the only problem; Madara was always moving, never staying in one spot for more than two days. That's how he was so invisible, that's why Sasuke was having such trouble tracking him. He was using his snakes to search the places he couldn't, but there were no traces left behind, no sign of anything.

Madara had more or less disappeared, and so did his lackey.

The lead Sasuke had been following disappeared in Kirigakure, the only place in the world that Sasuke would rather not be ever again. The chance of running into the Mizukage - the hatred she'd shown to him when he denied her was fierce. But he wasn't scared... he was pissed off. She'd threatened him, and he had no doubt that she would hold true to it. He knew the fury a woman rejected could bring. But what woman was lonely enough to threaten someone who didn't want to be with her? She was a Kage, she could order men around, make them do whatever she wanted, but she'd had her eye fixated on him, for reasons that he still didn't understand.

But she didn't matter so much... not when all he could think about was Sakura.

He missed her more than anything. Missed her touch, missed her lips, missed her eyes, missed the way she would smile at him, missed every little thing about her. He could close his eyes and create the perfect image of her, though it hurt to know that once he opened them again she would disappear.

He wanted to be with her, but wanted her to be safe more than anything.

As the only other Uchiha, it was his duty to rid his clan of the monstrosity that was Madara. Killing him, and only killing him, would give him the life he wanted with Sakura. It would be the thing that would push him back to Konoha - as a real hero if he so desired.

But he didn't care about the fame or the recognition. He would die a happy man as long as he had her by his side.

Thinking of the life they could have only made him push himself harder to track him down - to end this so he could return to her.

He wished there was some time frame. Wished that he knew how long he was going to be away from her so he could prepare himself and her. But there was none of that; there was nothing but endless questions. How long until her saw her again? Would she be alright until then? Would she wait for him, or would she move on?

Sasuke didn't want to think about the possibility that she was tired of waiting for him. If that's what she wanted though, then he would leave her. All he wanted was her happiness, and if it wasn't with him... if after everything it wasn't with him... then there was nothing he could do.

All he could do was hope that she thought he was worth the wait... because he had no doubt in his mind that she was.

He was forced to dig around Kirigakure for longer than he was hoping, though he'd caught wind that the Mizukage wasn't there. Apparently she was off at some big meeting between the Kage's. A meeting where all the main leaders would be gathered... the perfect opportunity for Madara to devastate the countries all at once. So he did some searching, and overheard the location, immediately heading there to try to intercept the devil if he decided to intervene.

But he came up empty-handed. Other than almost being discovered by a very perceptive Hokage, it was like he'd never even been there.

And he started back with nothing once again.

It was like a cycle. An almost clue, following through with a lead, and then ending up with nothing and cursing himself for not paying enough attention. He must be missing something. Something had to be wrong with what he was doing... but he couldn't figure out what it was.

He wouldn't quit though. He was too determined to end this and see her. That was his goal now; it was much more important than revenge.

**xx**

_**You're out there somewhere. Alive. **_

_Sakura looked around, surprised to find herself in a field very similar to the one Naruto always took her to for cloud watching and time to unwind. Full of long grass and wildflowers that seemed to always be moving with the wind. The only difference was... there was someone there. A few feet away from her she recognized the back of someone she knew. Someone she knew very well; someone she missed._

_"You're here." She whispered, reaching out towards him._

_He turned around, a calm expression on his face. "I'm here." A few steps and he was right in front of her, his eyes soft and caring._

_"Then I must be dreaming." She said sadly, letting her hand fall to her side. What good would it do to torture herself not only in reality, but in her dreams as well._

_"Dreaming or not, I'm always with you." He said. She reached out again, half expecting her hand to pass right through him and utterly thankful when it didn't. Her hand touched solidness; muscle. But it wasn't real... none of this was real. "And I want you with me. Forever."_

_She looked at him, confused and a bit angry. "You're the one who went off on your own. You're the one who left me behind."_

_His face softened into an expression that almost could have held a smile and he turned away, starting to walk. He was leaving again. Always leaving her._

_"Sasuke, wait!"_

Sakura sat up abruptly, her breathing rapid and unsteady. She'd woken up that way ever since Sasuke left again. Never being able to have a good sleep, rarely being able to have a peaceful nights, the nightmares were about Sasuke being killed; vicious, frightening nightmares. Other times, they were about him walking away like he couldn't hear her begging him to come back.

Even when it was peaceful, even when she wasn't nearly brought to tears from one of the nightmares, even when she was able to dream about soft kisses and sweet words - the moment she woke up the illusion shattered and she was left wide awake, rarely able to find sleep again.

The early morning signs of the other shinobi getting ready to start their days sounded through the camp, echoing in her ears. She heard the fires crackling, pots of food being stirred. It was so quiet she couldn't help but overhear some conversations about families left in Konoha, about private things shared between friends in a low whisper that she should definitely not be hearing about.

She forced herself out of the warm cover of her blankets and into the cool morning air, slapping her cheeks and running a hand through her hair. Time to wake up - time to start her day just like everyone else.

**xx**

"Just a few stragglers left behind from the attack on Konoha then?" Tsunade asked.

Shikaku stroked his beard and shook his head. "Or scouts made to look like they were."

One of the scouting parties spotted three men at the very edge of the Byakugan's sight wearing the same uniforms that Madara's men had when they attacked Konoha. They engaged them, and the conflict ended with three very dead men and five very proud scouts. Proud until they sent their reports to Tsunade.

"They're dead now so what does it matter?" Sakura rolled her eyes at Naruto. Yes, he was extremely powerful now and a genius on the battlefield, but when it came down to critical thinking in other areas of his life, like a meeting, or his relationships - Hinata had made the first move - he still had a lot to learn.

"Yes, dead. Unable to be interrogated for information." The Hokage said rather harshly.

Naruto shrunk back, hiding slightly behind Sakura.

"Double the patrols. I don't want to take any risks." Tsunade said, breezing from the tent.

"Where is she going?" Sakura asked, turning a confused eye to Shikaku.

"The Mizukage has just arrived with her army."

Sakura wondered when she would never have to see or be in the presence of the Mizukage again. She still resented being used as a pet to get whatever the Mizukage wanted and she would probably forever hold a grudge for trying to steal Sasuke.

Her nose wrinkled at the memory. Damn woman. Thinking that just because she was the Mizukage she could get whoever she wanted. Well Sasuke sure showed her! But now she was going to have to put up with the Mizukage once again... and this time without Sasuke. What would she think? Would she assume that Sasuke left her? Had she heard of what transpired in the battle after she left?

"Miss Haruno." Sakura looked over her shoulder to the entrance of the tent and smiled. "You're needed in the medical tent."

Sakura nodded, the messenger disappearing at once. "Excuse me." She said, inclining her head to her fellow shinobi.

**xx**

"What kind of beetle did you say it was?" She said incredulously, examining the patient's leg. It was a deep purple color, like he was suffering from a particularly bad bruise, though she knew that was not the case. This man had been poisoned, and while the effects had stopped, she could tell by his grimaces and grunts that he was still in excruciating pain.

"We weren't able to capture it." One of the recruits said, eyes wide with panic. It was probably her first real experience. "He said it was small, small and quick and burrowed itself into his skin."

Sakura nodded, gesturing for the girl to come closer. She remembered her. Her eyes were always wide, maybe not with panic, but with a sense of nervous curiosity. She was always looking like that; eager to learn new things, ready to take on whatever was thrown at her.

"Moegi, right?" The girl nodded. That's why she remembered her; Konohamaru's teammate. "First real lesson. Come here."

She pointed to the infected area, sending a bit of her healing chakra to figure out exactly what kind of beetle it was. "This man has been poisoned, do you know what to do in that situation?"

Moegi nodded. "Extract the poison." She spoke with such a sureness that Sakura couldn't help but smile.

"Right, so why don't you get started on that." When she was given a panicked look, she nodded encouragingly to the girl. "I'll be right here."

While she watched Moegi work to pull the poison from the man's leg, Sakura tried to place the name of the beetle. She'd studied under Tsunade for so long - read hundreds of books on poisons and what to do, understanding the beetles themselves, and even training for a bit with Shino and his father to get a grasp on their bugs, though that experience was rather uncomfortable. Yet still, with all the studying and training, this toxin eluded her.

Infusing her strength with Moegi's and giving her a slight hand, Sakura helped to rid this man of the pain and remove the poison from his body. The purple substance came out in a pale green bubble, Sakura's doing so it wouldn't affect anyone in the area. If she couldn't name it, she didn't want to risk it being transferred through contact.

"We'll need a jar." Sakura said, sending a glance to another of the healers in training. She smiled to Moegi, "Good work. I assume you know how to bandage him?" While the poison was out, it had left very bad burns on his leg, and they needed to be treated as well. She held the poison in the palm of her hand as she waited for the jar, still flabbergasted by its qualities and her inability to decipher it.

When the jar arrived, she let the contents slip into it, quickly tightening the lid and furrowing her brows. "I'll take this to Shizune." While Tsunade was ideal, Sakura knew she was more than busy with everything going on.

Naruto watched from the other side of the tent, a small smile on his face. The more he noticed how much Sakura had grown, the more she continued to surprise him and grow more. She was a teacher now, she had people who looked up to her and relied on her, and Naruto realized how lucky he was to be blessed with her as his best friend. She was incredible; she deserved happiness.

Which was why he was chasing Sasuke for her. Just like that first time, when Sasuke had left for Orochimaru. He made another promise to bring him back, and this time he would. On_ his _terms, not Sasuke's.

The guy was a real idiot sometimes. A self-righteous person who thought he could do everything by himself, refusing to accept help - refusing to believe he needed it. Naruto had been grateful enough before the attack was launched on Konoha that Sasuke had told him something important. He trusted him with that secret, so why couldn't he trust him now?

He ducked out of the tent and took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of campfire and chuckling at the sound of his hungry stomach. If he could transport Ichiraku with him on this journey he would have - the food here was next to terrible. He knew why, of course and he wasn't about to say that he could make food for over 500 people and still have it taste good. He was just saying that if they brought Ichiraku along... _they _would make food for hundreds of people and still have it taste good... it always tasted good... it was ramen.

Up until his scouting duty, which was in an hour, his day was pretty much vacant for once. He'd been following Sakura around until then, but now he had nothing to do. He could think more about the stragglers from Madara's army - stragglers or spies, he still wasn't sure - but that wouldn't do him any good. He would just continue ending up on the same conclusions that everyone else had. Either they were stragglers or they were made to look like them, but there was nothing anyone could do about it now but try and figure out why. If they were stragglers, why were they still hanging around main cities. If they were meant to look like stragglers, why? Madara must have known that they would be captured or killed. He didn't understand the point of it all.

But no! He didn't want to think about that - he wanted to have some downtime to spend with Hinata. It was only the first day of the increase in patrols that Tsunade suggested and already he wasn't able to see her. She would come back from hers and he would be at the rendezvous point with his squad ready to go. It sucked and he could only hope that this rigorous schedule wouldn't continue on for too long. At least only until they got to their destination.

Suna...

He was ready to see Gaara again - they'd kept in touch ever since the 'incident' with the Akatsuki. Dying and coming back to life really changes a person. Even if he didn't want to, Gaara would have to put up with him anyways - he was the Kazekage, he had to accept the Konoha ninja as well. And even if the ramen stand in Suna wasn't as good as the one back home, he was still going to make sure that Gaara sat down and ate with him - time provided.

He was also ready to get there because word of mouth suggested that there was a festival going on. Though he doubted that Gaara was the one to insist the festival go on in the midst of a war and knew that it was more than likely his siblings doing. Kankuro couldn't pass up an excuse to drink lots of saké, and Temari, while mature and collected, had a soft spot for the festivals.

Naruto loved them because they were a chance to relax, and potentially a chance to have less scouts, though he doubted it. While Suna's walls provided extra protection, he wasn't sure that Tsunade would be able to completely feel safe until the enemy was dead - he wasn't sure anyone would.

**xx**

While she was waiting for Shizune to show up, she couldn't help but berate herself for not knowing more. What were they going to do if Shizune couldn't name it either? What if Madara's men were carting around a new type of poison that no healer really understood?

No, Tsunade would know. Tsunade knew everything.

Even if Tsunade didn't know, they were among some of the greatest shinobi in the world, someone had to know what it was.

As she leaned back in the chair, still examining the jar and its contents, she wondered if Sasuke had any idea about this. He may be on their side now, but he'd been working for Madara and Orochimaru before that. Maybe they'd talked about it, discussed when to use it.

But then Madara seemed like the kind of guy that would keep secrets from his alliances and reveal them at the last possible moment, just to keep things interesting, or to keep himself and his secrets safe.

It was all just so frustrating!

"Sakura?" Shizune's calm voice came from the entrance to the tent, her eyes curious as she looked at her friend and how tightly she was holding the jar. "Don't want to break that, do you?"

Sakura let out a breath, releasing the jar, completely unaware that she had been holding it so tightly. "Sorry."

She nodded, moving to sit across from Sakura at the small table. "So what is it?"

"I have no clue."

Shizune stuck out her hand, waiting for Sakura to pass her the substance. "And this man was on a patrol?"

Sakura nodded, handing over the jar and running a hand over her face. "He said it was a beetle. Small and quick. A burrower."

"There are a lot of poisonous beetles in the world..."

"I spent a year studying the different types of poisons and the bugs they come from. I don't recognize this."

Shizune held the poison to her face, watching as the liquid moved, suspended in Sakura's healing bubble of sorts, but she could have sworn that it was moving on its own. "I'll take a look at it."

Sakura nodded hopefully, standing up. It was hard to get a meeting with Shizune, their schedules conflicted and there was rarely any free time. It was late now, most of the other shinobi had already gone to sleep, and Sakura was feeling worn out as well. "Thank you."

"I'll get it back to you as soon as possible."

**xx**

His senses were always on high alert, so when he found that there was an entire army in front of him, he'd been a little shocked. They'd appeared out of nowhere, like someone was going through a lot of trouble to keep them hidden, to shelter them from unknown enemies.

For a brief moment, he wanted to believe that he'd finally found Madara and what he had left of his armies, but he knew that wasn't true. This army must be the result of the Kage summit that was held. They were gathering their armies to defend themselves. Against what? Madara? Him? Or both?

Using the darkness as his cover to get himself close and inspect exactly who the army was - purely out of curiosity and a drive to see Sakura if this was Konoha's forces - he encroached on the camp. The entire set up was enormous, stretching through a big clearing and continuing into the forest where he could not see. But he sensed the people there, and knew that this army was a large force not to be reckoned with on his own.

His heart lifted as he caught sight of one oh Konoha's banners handing from a tent. So it was Konoha, so she was in there somewhere.

He knew that he shouldn't go to her - knew that it was a terrible idea and that he needed to stick to his task at hand... but he couldn't help it. His heart was yearning to see her, needing to feel her, and yet his mind was thirsty for Madara's blood. His mind wanted to see that man dead so he could enjoy Sakura in peace. As he warred with himself, he unconsciously found himself getting closer to the camp, so close that he could see the shadows of someone in their tent, could see someone blowing out a candle to sleep.

In an attempt to calm his mind, he deduced that this camp was only in the way of finding Madara, and an unscheduled stop just to make sure that Sakura was okay would be fine. It would put himself at ease, and enable him to focus on finding the other Uchiha.

But he had to see her.

* * *

**I KNOW, I KNOW. **

**I was totally going to bring them together in this chapter but then I just... couldn't. At least you know they will be together very soon :D OR WILL THEY?! DUN DUN DUN.**

**A little note: I am kind of sort of looking for someone to beta my chapters before I present them to the world. I'm finding myself going over it multiple times and still missing silly little things. I'm DYING for an extra set of eyes to catch the mistakes I've been missing. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to go about this, but I've looked on that beta thing and no one is responding to me D: sadface.**

**And also, I've started drawing some artwork for a few chapters from My Darkness. Which is kind of exciting but I have noooo idea when they'll be done and when I can put them on the interwebz! And also my scanner isn't working, so any hope of getting them up soon is just toast. I like artwork. Someone should totally draw artwork for My Darkness.**

**Cheers!**

**-EM**


	3. A Night Like This

**Thanks for the continued support :)**

**INSERT LIST OF SUPER AWESOME REVIEWERS HERE**

**:)**

**P.S - Don't hate me for enjoying me some Maroon 5. But, their song came on the radio the other day and it made me think of Sasuke and Sakura in My Darkness and in this journey for them as well in a silly kind of way.**

**DAYLIGHT - MAROON 5**

* * *

_"Why do I do it? Because nights alone aren't permanent._

_Missing him reminds me that I'm lucky to have someone to miss_

_because I am not afraid to make sacrifices for true love."_

_-Anonymous_

**Against the Sun: Chapter III**

**A Night Like This  
**

**xx**

The area was dark and mostly quiet as he slipped through the tents, the occasional chatter of some men erupting in the night. The night guards, he assumed, or the ones that had just been relieved of their shifts drinking sake and gambling.

He was extremely relieved that Sakura's chakra was like a beacon to him now; finding her without that connection would have been a nightmare, and if his need to see her wasn't enough, he would have left.

But he could feel her, a few tent rows away from where he was standing, her chakra calm and peaceful; she was sleeping. He couldn't find the words to explain how badly he wanted to see her again. It had been too long since he'd been in her presence, and if he could, he would stay with her. She was the light that led him out of the darkness he thought was inescapable. She showed him that love could conquer hatred.

He needed her.

One of the tent flaps to his right opened and he froze, dropping to the ground and praying that he wasn't visible in the darkness. If he was spotted, he knew he would be killed. The army wouldn't take kindly to any intruders. Though, if that was the case they would need to have better night patrollers; slipping past them was all too easy.

The man stumbled out of the tent and walked right in front of Sasuke, not stopping until he reached the end of his row, proceeding to relieve himself in the grass. Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed, waiting patiently for the bleary man to return to his tent and get back to sleep.

The second the flap had slid closed behind him, Sasuke started moving, sliding agilely past the pegs and other obstacles that the tents provided until he arrived outside of Sakura's tent. With a quick glance around to make sure no one else was watching, he ducked inside.

For any normal person, the tent would have been almost impossible to see inside of. Outside at least, the moon provided some visibility, but in the tent, the linen blocked the moonlight and created a nearly pitch black enclosure. But his eyes were still sharp, and he could find his way around the tent just fine.

Sakura was on the cot in front of him, one arm buried under the pillow and one curled up to her chest. She looked innocent; if he didn't know any better he wouldn't imagine in a million years that this girl could smash through walls and incapacitate someone with only a touch.

He approached her cautiously; one movement and she could be at his throat with a kunai, something he'd learned from past mistakes. But hell, he wanted to surprise her, he could handle any attacks she threw at him.

His brushed his hand against her cheek and she stirred, but didn't completely wake up. He smirked and bent down to press his lips against hers. She was unresponsive at first, in that stage where she was half asleep and half awake. But seconds later he felt her hand shoot up to push him away, and he moved, but not before pressing his hand over her mouth. He didn't want to risk the possibility of her screaming and alerting the entire camp to his presence.

"Shh, it's okay." he whispered, watching her confused face as she tried to adjust her eyes to the darkness. "It's me." He murmured, lifting his hand to brush some hair behind her ear.

He watched as her eyes widened in surprise and her struggling stopped. She threw her arms around his neck, letting out a strangled noise as she realized who he was. After a moment she spoke, and her words almost tore his heart in two. "Is this real?"

He let out a breath and pulled her against him, nodding into the crook of her neck.

Sakura sat up, her hand never leaving his skin; as if she was afraid that if she lost contact he would disappear. He sat down in front of her, his own hand resting against the side of her neck. "You're alive! What are you doing here?" She murmured, leaning into his touch.

"I had to see you."

"How did you get past the guards?" He smiled then, a devilish smile that made Sakura question the welfare of the night guards. He had changed too much to mindlessly kill them, but she wouldn't put it past him to knock them all out.

"Forget about it. We can talk later."

She hesitated, then nodded. Sakura moved her face closer and he brushed his lips against her forehead, down to her cheek. She closed her eyes and sighed, luxuriating as his lips moved delicately down the side of her neck.

This wasn't a dream, then. Sasuke was there, in front of her, his lips against her skin and his hands trailing down her arms. But she still felt like he could disappear at any moment. At the very least, she knew he was alive for the time being, and that gave her some peace of mind.

His fingers twisted in her hair and he moved his lips to press against hers, letting out a quiet groan at Sakura's eager response; melting as she dug her fingers into his dark hair and tugged. He'd let it grow out; it was just a little too long and as silky as ever. He tasted right, he felt right, he was right, and Sakura didn't want to be without him anymore.

Heaven. Easily, this would qualify. It was the farthest thing from any normal relationship, but she probably wouldn't give it up for the world. It may not be perfect, hell it definitely wasn't perfect, but to her it was what she needed; what she wanted.

"Sakura." he whispered her name huskily, bringing his head down to nuzzle her neck, inhaling her sweet scent as if he were drunk on it.

"Sasuke... we can't..." Her soft voice trailed off. Her mind was screaming how utterly wrong this was in their current location, but her body was betraying her rational thinking. Unconsciously, her slender fingers tangled themselves in his hair, and she let out a soft noise of surprise when he began to nibble on an especially sensitive spot.

His lips and tongue left her neck, reclaiming her lips and slipping his cold fingers under the hem of her shirt.

The second his hands slid under her top was the second all of her alarms went off. They couldn't be doing what they were doing, not in camp. She knew the way Sasuke had made her feel the first time they'd slept together, the memory would be ingrained in her mind forever, so she knew that the camp was too close and personal with the other shinobi. Any sound at all could be enough to tip the neighbors off on what they were doing.

"Sasuke, wait." She murmured, pulling her lips away and letting her eyes slide shut as his lips returned to her neck. "We can't do this now."

He knew she was right, but what did the others care if they were quiet? He shook his head and nibbled innocently on the skin under her ear. Humming to let her know that he'd heard her, and was simply ignoring what she wanted. He'd been away for too long to even think of not having her now. He'd spent too long yearning for her touch to let their short time together slip away so easily.

He wouldn't be able to stay very long, maybe not even until morning. There was no way he could risk being caught in the camp, not when Madara was still out there and needed to be killed. It was his duty as the last Uchiha to oppose him. He would need to stop him; alone. His hands tightened around Sakura's waist as the idea of leaving her made him shiver. He didn't want to be apart from her again, but he was doing this to protect her. How could he sleep at night knowing that she was in danger?

A quiet moan left her lips and he knew he was slowly melting her resolve to stop this before it went too far. "Sasuke..." Sakura murmured, her body shuddering against his touch. She tried to regain her composure and push him away, but he was faster and had her arms pinned at her sides before she could untangle herself.

His lips were not gentle now; there was a brand new edge in the way his lips moved against hers, and for a moment, Sakura was dumbfounded, only focused on the sensations he was sending through her with his lips and hands. She didn't know the people in the tents next to her, but she knew that protocol was very strict when Konoha was at war. And having sex with anyone in camp wasn't permitted, never mind an S-classed criminal. If _anyone _heard them...

"Stop." She whispered, finding her self-restraint and using her medical background to temporarily freeze his arms. He glowered at her, but she was grateful for doing it. She needed to regain her senses and stop this before it got Sasuke into trouble.

"Aren't you worried someone might hear?" She hissed, furrowing her brows together. "As happy as I am to have you back, I won't risk you being found just to..." She trailed off, suddenly feeling embarrassed under his watchful eyes.

She sighed and shook her head, running her hands down his frozen arms. "I'm sorry." Sakura murmured, giving him mobility again with a slight flux of chakra.

"Okay." He said softly, brushing a strand of hair back from her face and pressing his forehead against hers. He was calm now, the need to ravage her no longer overwhelming him.

"Why did it take you so long?" She whimpered suddenly.

With a sigh, he settled her head under his chin, holding her against him and letting his breath wash over her. "I'm sorry." He murmured. It made Sakura smile a little, hearing him say that. He didn't apologize often, so when he did, there was no doubt in her mind that he really meant it.

As they lay there, he told her what he'd been doing, his voice a soft whisper in her ear. How he thought of her too much for it to be healthy, how he would get so close to finding Madara and then the trail would just end. He was no closer now to finding the Uchiha than he was when he started out.

"So you'll be gone again." She whispered, tracing her finger gently over his collarbone.

"Yes."

Sakura sighed and closed her eyes. "I'll be alone again."

"Don't think about it." He whispered, pressing his lips against her temple. He rationalized with his mind again that staying until morning wouldn't be a problem. He wouldn't be able to travel far at night anyways and would need to set up camp somewhere, so why not with Sakura? "I'll be here in the morning."

But it was all she could think about it. While she hadn't been under any illusion that he'd killed Madara and that's why he was visiting her, she didn't think that he would be gone so soon. But then she wondered what else she was expecting? Him to stay for a week cooped up in the tent so no one would see him? No, she had no doubt that these were going to be one night things, just like in Konoha. Except this time.. this time she could wake up to him, at least for a little while.

"Where are you heading next?"

She closed her eyes and let out a long breath, trying not to think about him being gone again. "We're stopping in Suna, though I'm not sure for how long."

He ran his hand down her side and back up again, staring at her like he was lost in thought. "At least the guards there will be more prepared."

Sakura rose a suspicious eyebrow. "So tell me again how you got past them?"

"I walked." He sighed. "I was hoping I would have to knock someone out, but none of them cared to pay attention. Not the protection I want for you." His fingers were at her chin, tilting her face up to look at him. "You're too important."

She smiled and turned her head away, a weak attempt to hide her blush.

Sakura lost track of time, unsure of how long they were laying there talking before she fell asleep, encased in his warm, protective arms. If there was ever a moment that she could make last forever, it would be the few seconds before she lost herself to sleep. She wasn't focused on anything other than the steady rise and fall of his chest, his soft fingers in her hair - it was perfect.

That night, she had real dreams. Real, wonderful, beautiful dreams of them together. No one dying before her eyes, no one leaving her and never returning. These dreams were happy and perfect, and the only thing that made her want to wake up was knowing that Sasuke would be there beside her.

Sasuke let out a breath when he realized that she'd finally fallen asleep, running his hand over her hip and up her back, enjoying the soft dips and curves of her body, the warmth of her skin. He didn't realize when he left on his personal mission just how hard it would be to stay away from her for so long and still try to focus on his goal. He couldn't stop touching her, kissing her and running his hands through her soft hair.

Had her wrists always been so dainty? Her throat so slender and delicate? Had it been so long that he'd almost forgotten what Sakura looked like?

It wasn't exactly the being away part that was so hard. It was knowing how different he acted without her, how different his entire life was without her beside him. Knowing all of this and knowing the way she made him feel made him wonder what exactly he was planning to do about her when everything was over. Her life was in Konoha, everything important to her was there and he couldn't ask her to drop everything and be with him. He knew what her answer would be, but he would not be responsible for tearing her away from everyone close to her.

But there was no way he could return to Konoha. Going back the first time had been taxing enough. If he returned again, he didn't think that the council would bat an eye before having him killed. There would be no deliberation, no meeting held to decide if he would live or die. And he didn't want to be there. Other than Sakura and Naruto, the only thing Konoha held for him was ghosts of the family he once knew and memories of what happened on that night.

Konoha tore his family apart. Konoha forced Itachi to murder his own family. Konoha was to blame for all of the misery in his life. He didn't wish it to be destroyed anymore, but he didn't want it to have any part of his future.

So then what was he putting Sakura through again?

He wouldn't dream of leaving her without any explanations, but they were going to have to talk about their options. She had to know that that conversation had to happen. But, that was if she didn't get tired of the constant waiting. If what they had could last through the war.

**xx**

When Sakura woke up, she half expected him to be gone, leaving her so they wouldn't have to say their goodbyes face to face. But she was wrapped in his arms, and there was no greater joy than waking up in the safety of a lover's arms. The tent was faintly lit by the cloudy sky - it must have rained while they were still sleeping. Was still raining, she realized, the quiet pitter patter on the roof of her tent tipping her off. The scent was strong too, the air cool and moist. It was early still, but she could hear some of the other Shinobi getting ready to start their day. Training, duty, briefing, whatever it called for. She was due in the Medical Tent just before noon, but at least that meant she still had some time to spend with him and enjoy the little time they had left together.

She didn't even want to think of how Sasuke would get out of the camp without being seen, especially in the morning. She hoped that he would stay until darkness fell over the sleeping army, then at least she could have some more time and not spend her day worrying if he got out okay or not.

He was still fast asleep, his head leaning against his bicep, arm wrapped around her shoulders. She should have moved to the ground at some point; given him room to stretch on the cot that was very clearly too small for the two of them. But she felt like the minute she left him alone, the minute she turned away he would disappear.

That was the last thing she wanted.

It was a painful feeling, to know that he was lying right in front of her and still missing him in preparation for his departure. But she could deal with it this time. Seeing him again renewed her faith that he would finish this mission, as dangerous as it might be, and come back to her.

He looked so relaxed, as he always did when he slept. Like his past wasn't haunted, like he wasn't facing danger every day. Sakura realized that she was one of the few people to ever see him so vulnerable. His brows weren't set in a stern line, his lips were relaxed and he was nothing short of beautiful.

Nothing could have made her want to leave that moment. She didn't want to get up. Didn't want to deal with the trainees in the medical tent or the briefings with Tsunade. She just wanted to stay there, with Sasuke, forever.

His arm tightened around her and pulled her closer, and she knew then that he was awake. His eyes opened to meet hers, and she couldn't help but smile at the slight smirk he wore.

"Hi."

He didn't satisfy her with a response other than pressing his lips against her and letting out a content sigh. If he was feeling the same way she was, then it was complete comfort and love. They didn't really need words... never had. A brush of hands, a quick kiss, and she could usually tell what he was thinking.

She lost track of time with him. Morning cuddles and kisses completely blurred her senses - not that she was going to complain. Before she knew it, the sun had risen higher in the sky and it was time to report to the medical tent, time to train some more recruits.

"Will you be here when I come back?" It was a question she wasn't really sure she wanted the answer to. If he said yes, then she would spend the entire day wishing she could be back in the tent lazing around with him. If he said no, then she would have to say goodbye to him right there and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Do you want me to be?"

Yes.

"I don't ever want you to leave." She murmured sadly.

He reached out his hand to brush it against her cheek. "When you get back." He confirmed, pushing her away slightly so she would get dressed.

xx

Her mind felt fuzzy, like it was still having trouble believing that Sasuke was there, waiting for her back in her tent. And then alarms started to go off in her head. What if someone went to her tent to look for her and found him? What was he going to eat all day while she was away? She was tempted to just return to the tent and claim a sick day just to prevent anything catastrophic from happening.

What would anyone do, other than Naruto, if they found out that she had one of Konoha's enemies - or who they believed was their enemy - in her tent?!

She started to panic. So many possibilites were running through her head. They could try to kill him, they could exile her, they could do so many things. Though, with Tsunade's knowledge of the situation, she assumed things would go over a little bit smoother than that. But all of her comrades would look at her differently.

Sakura had started storming back to her tent, mind on full alert, when someone called her name. Her heart stopped and she froze, every muscle in her body itching to get back. Someone knew. Someone knew where she was heading.

"Sakura!" The voice called again. Reluctantly, she arched her head to see who it was.

Shizune sauntered towards her, Tonton in her arms and a small smile on her face. "Where are you going? Tsunade's in the tent and you're already late!"

Crap.

She had completely forgotten that Tsunade was making an appearance today, to inspect the progress of the new recruits and of course watch Sakura and Shizune with close eyes to make sure that they were doing everything correctly. There was no way she could pretend to be sick. Tsunade would know better. She was a medic, how the hell could she be sick?

"I-"

"We both know how much patience she has, especially in a time like this." Her smile brightened like she was recalling a funny memory. How an impatient Tsunade could be funny Sakura had no idea. "So lets go!"

Against what her mind was screaming, Sakura started once again to the medical tent with her.

Tsunade's angry eyes were enough to let her know that she was in some trouble for being late. For some reason it was almost as bad as the look she received after returning from the unapproved mission with Sasuke.

Or maybe it only seemed bad because Sakura was nervous that she was going to be found out and was harboring a guilty conscious for hiding it from the Hokage.

"You're late."

Sakura knew that the Hokage was stressed out and had a lot of things on her plate, so her being grumpy all the time wasn't so far fetched. She just hated when it was directed at her.

The day seemed to stretch out a lot longer than it needed to, probably because she wanted it to end as soon as possible. Tsunade insisted on going over the most juvenile stuff with them again, as if they'd forgotten, but she assumed it was just a mandatory refresher test that she had no problem giving.

But Sakura sure as hell had a problem paying attention.

Even after the meeting, when Sakura was ready to tear away from the tent and rush back to her own, someone was there stopping her, and Sakura knew she would have to listen.

Shizune pulled her aside, pulling a vial from her pocket and held it between them, watching the liquid as it moved slightly in its container.

"I spent hours racking my brain for what this thing could be. I ran tests on some of it, did almost everything practical that I could think of. I would have gone to the library, but we didn't bring it along this time." She handed the vial back to Sakura. "I didn't find a thing."

Sakura had almost forgotten about the poison she had extracted, and realizing now how important she had deemed it nearly made her laugh. Having Sasuke there sure muddled her priorities.

"Thank you for trying, Shizune." She tucked the poison safely into her pouch. "I'll take another look at it, and if all else fails I'll see if Tsunade can recognize what it is."

She nodded, smiling and picking up her pig from the ground. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Just in case someone else was planning to intercept her before she left for her tent, she took off, desperate to show herself that she was paranoid, that no one would have gone looking for her while she was gone.

**xx**

Naruto sighed, fresh off of his scouting mission and with no Hinata to go to. It was already hard, how long were they going to have to keep up with the routine of only seeing each other in the brief moments of the morning before they set off for their respective duties.

He _hated _not seeing her. He couldn't imagine how Sakura and Sasuke did it. How could they stand being apart for so long?

Sakura was a smart girl, and he was her best friend. So he figured she wouldn't mind giving him advice on how to deal with that. Or she would knock him on the head and call him an idiot, either was possible.

Maybe it was because he was used to having Hinata there all the time that he was feeling so withdrawn. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen Sakura in a long time either.

He just had to remind himself that this war against Madara was for the good of everyone. But the sooner

it was over, the better. He wanted to stop this asshole, but he wanted his girlfriend and his best friend back.

Naruto ducked into her tent and froze.

He had been expecting to see Sakura hard at work at her desk, sorting through paperwork or signing things.

He had been expecting to see a woman, with coral pink hair, green eyes, that could pack a punch and make a grown man cry.

But instead he was staring into the dark eyes of Sasuke.

He moved himself completely inside the tent, but otherwise made no move towards him. "Does Sakura know you're here?"

Sasuke smirked and nodded.

Naruto wondered how long he'd been there and when Sakura was planning to tell him that Sasuke was back. He took a few steps forward and clapped Sasuke on the shoulder, resisting the urge to hug him. He would have hugged him, but something held him back. Maybe it was the aura around him that shouted 'if you even think of hugging me I'll break your arms' but he couldn't be sure.

"Good to see you." Alive.

**xx**

She stopped dead in her tracks right outside her tent, listening to the loud laughter of her best friend, and the quiet, monotone voice of her lover.

The _idiots_!

Frustrated and pretty pissed off, she tossed the flap aside and ducked into the space, the look on both of their faces telling her that they knew they were in trouble. It was ironic how much she felt like Tsunade at that moment.

Naruto was looking at her with a frightened, sheepish expression. He knew he wasn't supposed to be there, he assumed that no one was supposed to know Sasuke was there but her. Which did make him a little mad. Sasuke was his best friend! He would have liked to know that he was alive at the very least.

Sasuke looked as calm as ever, eyes meeting hers with a ferocity that nearly made her blush.

"Naruto!" She whispered quietly, tearing her eyes from Sasuke and focusing on Naruto before she went red. She wasn't even mad that he had found Sasuke there, she was mad that he had been laughing so loudly with another _male _voice. In _her _tent. Anyone could have become suspicious. Anyone could have decided to investigate. "Keep your voice down." She hissed.

He scratched the back of his head and grinned, "Sorry!" He whispered back.

She shook her head and sighed, planting herself on the bed beside Sasuke, smiling slightly as the two of them continued their conversation like she hadn't intervened. It was funny how easily they could fall into old character again. She liked it.

Sakura tuned them out, pulling the vial from her pocket and holding it up to her face again, frustration overcoming her in a wash. Shizune didn't know what it was, she didn't know what it was. Maybe it wasn't a big deal, but the man that was infected came back to her mind. She remembered how purple and swollen it had been. It had burned him, and if it was some secret that Madara was using against them, she wanted to know about it.

No, she decided, it was _very _important.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked for the third time. "Are you even listening to me?"

She tore her eyes from the poison and looked at Naruto. "Yeah, yeah, what is it?"

"I was just -"

Naruto cut his words short when Sasuke snatched the vial from Sakura's fingers. "Hey!" She protested, "that is official Konoha property!"

His voice was low, and the way he was watching the liquid inside made her nervous. "Where did you get this?"

Sakura looked a little surprised. "Do you know what it is?"

"Where did you get this?" He repeated. Naruto looked between the two of them, not understanding what was going on.

"It was extracted from one of my patients."

Before anyone could stop him, Sasuke had popped the cap off of the vial and poured half of the contents onto the grass. "Hey!" She exclaimed, covering her mouth immediately after she realized how loud she was.

But he had just dumped out her research! She needed to know what it was!

"I didn't think he would do it."

"Who would do what?" Sakura demanded. Naruto, still, confused, only narrowed his eyes at the liquid as it ate through the grass. What the hell was it?

Sasuke capped the vial again, handing her what was left of the poison. "This poison is from Torune Aburame."

Sakura looked at him expectantly, like he wad supposed to elaborate more.

But Naruto spoke first. "Wasn't he killed during the first kage summit?"

"Captured. But he is dead now. Kind of."

"Kind of? What does that even mean?"

Sasuke continued to watch the poison on the ground with increasing dismay. "It means that Madara is continuing with the Impure World Reincarnation."

**xx**

* * *

**I don't even want to talk about how long that took me. **

**You have my apologies and a chocolate cake. That I will not bake for you because I suck at baking.**

**REMEMBER: Reviews are better than chocolate. And chocolate is better than life. You make the connection and do what you feel you must (which, if you're confused, is review).**

**-EM**


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